Hope in a Curse
by DragonRacer
Summary: InuYasha and the others know that Naraku has torn many lives apart. The meeting of a stranger in the forest brings up many questions. What is his story? And what does he want with InuYasha?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. Be cool if I did, but I don't. **

**A/N: If you are one of those people that hate the dubbed version of the show (i.e. the own that Adult Swim airs), you might want to avoid this one. I have never seen the non-dubbed version, so I'm using the translated versions of most everything (i.e. Wind Scar as opposed to Kaze no Kizu). My apologies if I screw up any backstory, as mymemory about certain parts is rather sketchy. I'd appreciate it if you read anyway, as this is my first fic. **

* * *

"InuYasha, look out!" 

InuYasha heard Kagome's warning. He even saw the strike coming. But that didn't keep him from being hit by the demon's tentacle arm. This demon was able to move incredibly fast over short distances, probably as fast as Koga. But, just like Koga, this demon's speed came from the jewel shard it had.

It seemed so simple in theory. A demon had been terrorizing a village, and the village had asked the Inu-Gumi for help. From then on it was supposed to be business as usual. When the demon approached the village border, InuYasha had been waiting for it. Kagome had called this particular demon a giant, walking squid, and the description was apt. Long, tall body, brown skin, and six "tentacles" that were about as long as the main body itself. The group had chased it into the forest that the village bordered on and, quite frankly, things had gone downhill from there. Kagome had sensed the shard almost immediately, but no one had been able to predict how fast the demon's counterattack could have come.

Of course, InuYasha didn't have much time to think about any of that, as the hit was sending him headlong towards a tree on the other side of the clearing. This was quite a feat considering the clearing was about fifty feet across. The demon had knocked out Sango and Miroku earlier this exact same way, and InuYasha was about to curse himself for not seeing it coming, when he hit the tree.

_ CRACK_

The impact was loud enough to echo throughout the forest. While it wasn't hard enough to knock him out, InuYasha was fairly dazed, dazed enough that he wasn't able to lift the Tetsusaiga as another tentacle started to come down right at him. InuYasha could do nothing but close his eyes and wait for the blow to land.

It didn't come.

Instead he heard the demon roar in what sounded like pain and then a dull thud. InuYasha opened his eyes and saw the tentacle. It was no longer attached to demon. Instead, it was lying on the ground. And, judging by the severing marks, it looked like an arrow had done it.

"_Kagome couldn't have made that shot,"_ InuYasha thought. _"And anyway, she used all of her arrows earlier. But who…?"_

His answer came when he looked at the demon, whose roars were reverberating around the forest. With its five remaining tentacles it was trying to crush a solitary male figure. The key word was "trying," as the demon had yet to actually land a blow on the man. InuYasha could only watch in amazement. This lone man was moving with a speed that rivaled Koga on his best days and had the presence of mind to shoot an arrow into the demon after every missed strike. His reflexes were so quick it was almost as if he knew exactly when and where the attacks were going to come from. What was stranger was that each arrow the man fired was glowing white, and, what was more, he didn't seem to be running out of them.

"Who is this guy?" InuYasha wondered out loud.

"I don't know," answered Kagome, who must have joined him at the base of the tree while InuYasha was watching the battle. "But look what he got out of that demon!"

InuYasha looked up and saw Kagome standing with her palm outstretched. A Shikon Jewel shard was in it.

"That means…"

InuYasha was on his feet and grasping the Tetsusaiga in a flash. He was about to warn the stranger to move, when the archer fired one last arrow into the demon and bolted off into the trees.

"_Interesting,"_ InuYasha thought, before turning back to the still roaring demon.

"Wind Scar!"

The Wind Scar hit the demon hard. Without the sacred jewel shard, it wasn't fast enough to avoid the attack. The demon was destroyed before it even had time to move. For the first time in a while, aside from the sound of InuYasha's heavy breathing, the woods were quiet.

InuYasha sheathed the Tetsusaiga and turned to Kagome. She had gone over to the side of the clearing, where the unconscious forms of Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were lying. Ever since they had first been knocked out, Shippo had been trying to revive them. Unfortunately, the young fox demon wasn't having much success. It wasn't entirely surprising, as his methods seemed to revolve around shaking Kirara and Sango and slapping Miroku. InuYasha joined them.

"Who was that archer guy?" Shippo asked.

"Who knows? He was awfully brave to take on the demon alone like that," Kagome answered.

"Brave?" InuYasha asked incredulously. "That coward ran and didn't even have the courtesy to see my Wind Scar in action."

"Is that what I am, a coward?" a new voice asked.

InuYasha whipped around.

It was the archer.

"You!" InuYasha said.

"Me," replied the archer. "Perhaps logic isn't one of your strong points, but in my experience I have discovered that it is better to avoid dangerous attacks such as yours. I don't have much desire to end up in pieces like our mutual friend over there."

He had known this man for all of about three minutes but already InuYasha wasn't especially fond of him. This archer was just too damn confident, and he was giving off a scent that InuYasha just didn't like. From what InuYasha could tell, the newcomer wasn't dangerous but there was just something about him that suggested otherwise.

"It seems as if your friends there were injured. My home isn't too far from here. If you want, you could rest up there awhile."

InuYasha was about to tell the newcomer to take a hike, but he looked at Kagome and then down at the unconscious forms. The stranger's words rang true. As much as InuYasha hated to admit it, they had all gotten beaten up pretty badly, and some rest in a safe place might do them some good. And while Kirara seemed to be coming around, Miroku and Sango were still out.

InuYasha turned to study the new arrival. He was a young man who looked to be about eighteen, although he was easily the tallest out of everyone present. He was dressed in a green tunic and had an empty quiver slung over his right shoulder. He was carrying a bow that was at least five feet long in his right hand. In all, his physical appearance wasn't all that unsettling. But what caught InuYasha's attention was the archer's face, or rather, his eyes.

They were covered.

The archer had a piece of black cloth wrapped around his head, and had placed it so low that it covered both of his eyes from the middle of his forehead down to the bridge of his nose. It didn't look like he could see through the material, but the archer seemed to be looking straight at the huddled group.

"What's the matter, demon? Don't trust me? I guess it's understandable considering the times we live in. I had merely hoped you would repay my assistance by joining me for tea, but if you're not interested…" The archer turned to leave.

"Wait," Kagome said. "You did help us. I think we can take time out of our hunt to have tea. Can't we?" she asked InuYasha.

"Fine," the half-demon answered. He didn't trust the newcomer, but Kagome looked exhausted. "Just help me carry our unconscious friends here."

"No problem," the archer replied.

He immediately went over to Sango's prone body, despite still having his eyes covered, picked her up, slung her over his left shoulder, and started off out of the clearing.

"If you would please follow me, I will take you to my humble home."

* * *

The "humble home" was actually a rather nicely built hut that seemed to be just a tad large for single person. In Kagome's opinion, the house would actually fit in perfectly on the shrine grounds back home. It was built in almost the exact same style. Kagome made a mental note to ask the archer, who was now parting the material that passed for a door and had yet to remove his blindfold, why his home was a big as it was. The mental list of questions was getting to be quite long. 

Inside, the cabin was sparsely furnished and had only one room. A low table and what seemed to pass for a bed were the only real pieces of furniture, although there were shelves along the walls and a fire pit near the center of the hut. The archer placed Sango's body on the bed, and then started getting the items needed to make tea off of the shelves.

InuYasha put Miroku down next to Sango and sat down at the table, where Kagome and Shippo joined him. They sat there for a moment before Shippo jumped up to Kagome's shoulder.

"Do you guys really think we can trust this guy?" Shippo whispered.

"I don't know, Shippo," Kagome whispered back. "He's being really mysterious and I have a growing list of questions for him."

"Perhaps you should ask them all at once."

The three of them jumped at the voice and looked up. The archer was boiling water over a newly created fire in the fire pit and had apparently been eavesdropping on their conversation.

"But perhaps you should wait until your friends have awoken. It would save a great deal of repetition."

"Fair enough," InuYasha growled, and he immediately set to work bringing Sango and Miroku back to consciousness.

* * *

It took awhile, but InuYasha eventually brought Miroku and Sango around. As everyone sat sipping his or her tea, Kagome recounted what had happened after Sango and Miroku had been knocked out by the demon. When she had finished, everyone immediately turned to the archer. 

"Well," the archer began. "I promised to answer any questions when everyone was conscious. All are now conscious. What do you wish to know?"

"Let's start with the basics," Kagome said. "What is your name?"

"Maikatsu."

"Wait a minute," Sango said. "I've heard of a demon slayer with unmatched accuracy. They say he can pin a fly to a tree at a distance of one hundred meters away without killing it. They say his name is Maikatsu. Are you indeed that Maikatsu?"

"No."

"What do you mean No'?" InuYasha growled.

"I have never had need to pin a fly to a tree one hundred meters away. Unless it was a demon posing as a fly."

"So you are him!" Sango exclaimed. She sat back with a look of amazement on her face. "I never thought I would ever get the chance to meet such a powerful demon slayer. Although nothing I ever heard about you said you wore a blindfold all the time."

"Speaking of which," Miroku interrupted. "Why are you still wearing that?"

"You've been wearing that thing ever since we first met you," InuYasha put in.

"You even wore it while you were fighting the demon," Shippo added.

"Is there a special reason behind it?" Kagome asked.

Maikatsu had been staring at the table since Miroku first spoke. It was a few moments before he answered.

"I wear this," he began, "Because, if I don't, people tend to become uncomfortable having a face to face conversation with me."

"And why is that?" Kagome asked.

There was a pause, during which Maikatsu seemed to be thinking, and then he reached up and untied the cloth. Removing it revealed an otherwise normal face, although Maikatsu had his eyes closed.

Maikatsu opened his eyes.

The girls gasped. It was obvious to even the eternally dense InuYasha what the archer had meant by "uncomfortable."

Maikatsu didn't have any eyes. Where his eyes should have been were two deep, dark pits.

After a few minutes, it seemed as if no one had the ability to speak. The two dark spaces just seemed to take their voices away.

"That's the reaction I usually get," Maikatsu said. He retied the cloth over his eyes. Privately, everyone was glad when it was back in place. Without his eyes, Maikatsu looked far too much like a skull that had skin and hair.

"How…?" Kagome tried, but she was unable to complete the question. She was simply too shocked and disturbed by what she had just seen.

"Did it happen?" Maikatsu offered. Kagome could only nod.

"Three years age, my father and I were out hunting the demon that killed my mother. We were a demon-hunting trio, and we were very good at what we did. We were truly something, the three of us. If someone paid us to eliminate a demon, that demon was dead within a week. My father was the greatest archer in the world, and my parents were so proud of my always-improving talents. But then, my mother turned up dead. There were obvious signs that it was a demon-caused death. I was furious, but I don't think I had ever seen my father any angrier than he was that day. We both made an agreement: we would not accept any job requests until my mother's killer was a corpse. We caught up to the demonic piece of crap, but he was waiting for us. I don't remember much except for flashes of the fight, but from what I do remember I was knocked unconscious for a while. When I came to, I couldn't see anything but a white light. As a matter of fact, that is all that I "see" to this day. A voice that identified itself as a doctor said that my eyes had been removed and that my injuries had been so severe that I was lucky I was alive. The injuries, according to the doctor, would have killed just about anyone else, but apparently whatever God that is in charge of the afterlife didn't want my soul that day."

"What about your father?" Sango asked. She couldn't help herself. The archer's story was so much like her own that she felt herself being drawn into it.

"When I asked my doctor where my father was, he said that I had been found alone. As far as I know, my father is dead. I came to the conclusion that the reason I wasn't dead was that I subconsciously knew I couldn't die until I had killed that piece of garbage and gotten the revenge that my father and I had both wanted. It also helped that the dreams kept pushing me."

"Dreams?"

"About a year ago, I started having dreams of that demon. I don't ever see his face, but I always hear his evil laughter. He always says the same thing: Fear me and chase me. And always remember the name of Naraku.'"

"Naraku?" InuYasha growled. "Naraku did this to you?"

"Yes," Maikatsu turned his head to the dog demon. "You know of him?"

"We've fought," InuYasha said simply.

"And yet you are still alive, and without any apparent lasting injuries. My compliments."

"We are actually hunting him and the Shikon Jewel shards he has," Kagome said.

"Shikon Jewel?"

"A jewel that was shattered. Individually they each grant a small amount of power, but if all of the shards were put back together it has enough power to make a half demon into a full one."

"A full demon? Why would anyone want that?"

InuYasha growled. "Why wouldn't they? What kind of self-respecting demon would want to be tainted by anything human?"

Maikatsu turned to InuYasha. He didn't say anything, but an eyebrow became visible over the cloth on his face.

"What the hell are you staring at? You got a problem with the truth?"

Maikatsu didn't answer and simply turned to Kagome. "May I see one of these shards?"

"What the hell do you mean see'?" InuYasha mocked.

"May I?"

Kagome nodded, and she took out the capsule that she kept the shards in. She put one of the shards into Maikatsu's outstretched palm and then sat back as the archer first examined the Jewel Shard with his fingertips. The rest of the group could only watch curiously as Maikatsu then help the shard up to eye-level between his index finger and thumb. He shifted the cloth around his head slightly up so his eyes were exposed a small amount. As he held the shard, he clicked his tongue softly. When he was apparently satisfied, he held the shard back out to Kagome, who took it back.

"There is a lot of holy power in that small fragment. It must have once been protected by a priest of great spiritual strength."

"It was once guarded by Lady Kikyo," Miroku said.

"Lady Kikyo? I know that name well. No wonder this Jewel is so powerful. The entire jewel together must truly be as strong as you said."

"The jewel is only one reason we are after Naraku," Sango said. "We each have our own reason to want to kill him."

"Such as?"

"He destroyed my village, killed my family, and has taken control over my brother's mind."

"He has placed a curse on the male members of my family," Miroku said. "He placed a wind tunnel in our right hands that will one day consume us."

"All part of Naraku's sick sense of humor. Tell me, monk," Maikatsu turned to Miroku, "Are you able to use that wind tunnel as a weapon?"

"Yes, I am."

"He gave you a sick, twisted type of hope in what in reality is a horrific curse. A reason to chase after him for his enjoyment."

The archer turned to Sango.

"Miss, you said your brother is being controlled. But he is also still alive, correct?"

"Yes."

"Again, a reason to chase after him. By keeping your brother alive, Naraku has both a weapon to use against you and a way to give you a small glimmer of hope that he plans to crush when you no longer amuse him."

Miroku and Sango let that sink in. It made sense, but they had never had either of their predicaments described in such a way. But then again, Maikatsu was in a very similar predicament. With both of his parents dead, he didn't have much to live for other than revenge. And by living alone this deep into the woods, there probably wasn't much to do other than slay demons and think. It was a wonder he hadn't lost his mind.

"And then we come to the situation of InuYasha."

InuYasha looked up in surprise. "How the hell…. I never told you my name."

"You don't search just for the jewel shards do you?" InuYasha didn't answer.He was still in shock.How the hell did Maikatsu know his name? "You want revenge for what happened between yourself and Lady Kikyo, don't you?"

"How do you know about…?" InuYasha asked, with a growing amount of suspicion.

"You're supposed to still be pinned to that tree," Maikatsu said. There was a noticeable amount of anger in his voice. "Lady Kikyo wanted you to stay there for betraying her."

"I didn't betray her. Naraku impersonated both of us."

"Doesn't matter. She let her guard down because she trusted you. If you had stayed the hell away from her, she wouldn't have been so easily killed."

"Your logic sucks. And how the hell do you know about any of this? We're a long way from that tree."

"I know," Maikatsu replied, the anger in his voice now fully palpable, "because Lady Kikyo is a distant relative of mine. I'm the last member of my branch of the family, so I have to be the one to do it."

"Do what?" Kagome asked worriedly.

"My father made sure that I would know.. I saw once you on my family's travels. He wanted me to be prepared. So, he made sure to tell me of a certain mission. One that I intend to complete."

"Mission? What kind of mission?" Miroku asked.

"That should InuYasha ever get free, the first one that finds him… kills him."

* * *

**A/N: As stated above, this is my first fic, so reviews are appreciated. If no one reads this, I will be sorely disappointed, as I really did try to put my all into this fic. So, in short, REVIEW, DAMMIT!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Does anyone on this site own anything? Just a thought, but does J.K. Rowling post over on Harry Potter? If she does, I want to know her pen name. By the way, I no own InuYasha. Call off the dogs. Hey, isn't that what they call a pun?**

**A/N: Welcome back. Thanks to Tara-dono and Edorani-dono for my first review and first listing as a favorite story, respectively. **

**Standard Warning: If I screw up the canon storyline, my apologies, as Wikipedia is a bit of a crapshoot.**

* * *

InuYasha was on his feet and had the Tetsusaiga unsheathed before anyone could blink. Kagome could almost feel the anger radiating from him. InuYasha had never trusted Maikatsu and now he had a genuine reason not to. Why had Maikatsu brought them here? Was the tea….? 

"Sit down, halfling. If I was going to kill you now I'd have done it already. And besides, I've never held much faith in poison. If I'm going to kill something, I want it to be quick. Throat, eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys, spinal column. If I was going to take you down now there would be an arrow sticking out off at least one of those areas." InuYasha sat down, but he didn't sheath the Tetsusaiga or drop his guard.

"If you're not going to kill InuYasha," Kagome said slowly, "What do you want with us?"

"My first objective, I will admit, was to kill InuYasha. I was planning on killing him later tonight, but after hearing everyone's stories, I am convinced that the one that the one who needs to die first is Naraku. However, once that task is accomplished," Maikatsu turned back to InuYasha, "I will complete my mission."

"But why?" Sango asked. "Why must you complete it?" Maikatsu turned to Sango.

"May I know your name?"

"It's Sango. Now answer my question."

"You are a demon slayer. Is that correct?" Sango nodded. "If you are a demon slayer, you know what your purpose in life is, don't you?"

"To slay demons that harm and threaten the safety of humans."

"Exactly. I am a demon slayer also. And that has been my purpose for most of my life as well. The family mission is just extra incentive."

"But how can you say that?" Miroku asked. "You said that your purpose was to slay demons that harm humans. InuYasha hasn't hurt any human. Not since…" he trailed off, realization dawning on him.

"Not since Lady Kikyo," Maikatsu finished. "That is reason enough. But since his aim for retrieving all of the Shikon Jewel shards is to become a full-fledged demon, I feel another reason for a small amount of urgency."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" InuYasha snarled.

"I have heard stories of what happens with half-demons. Tell me, have you ever transformed into a full demon, temporarily?"

"Yes, I have. When I was in danger and separated from the Tetsusaiga."

"How did you feel when transformed?"

"Like I could fight until death."

"No matter who got in your way, correct?"

"Yes."

"Even if they were your friends?"

"Yes, but what the hell is the point you're trying to make?"

"My point," Maikatsu replied, "is that if you would kill your own friends, what would keep you from slaughtering a town full of innocent people?"

InuYasha hated to admit it, but the archer had a point. He didn't remember much from when he transformed, but he remembered the feeling of power that had been flowing through him. If he hadn't been stopped, it was entirely possible that InuYasha could have slaughtered Kagome and the others. He had been strong, but he hadn't been in control of himself. It was a bit unnerving to think that it was possible for him to go berserk on an entire town.

"Nothing. Nothing short of my death could stop me."

"Exactly. I will be the one to kill you. I _will_ keep that town safe."

"But where is the proof that that will happen?" Kagome asked. "How do you know that InuYasha will kill anyone?"

"How do you know that he won't?"

It was a simple question, but it was enough to stop Kagome's train of thought. She trusted InuYasha with all her heart. But she had seen his transformation. If she were to be truly honest with herself, she would admit that it absolutely _terrified_ her when she saw InuYasha like that.

"Well..." Miroku began, and then he stopped. It looked like he was having an internal war with himself over what he was about to say.

"Well, what?" Maikatsu asked. "I said I would answer any question I could, and I have yet to retract that offer."

"You say," Miroku began, "You say that you won't attempt to kill InuYasha until Naraku is dead, is that correct?"

"I give my word that I will not kill InuYasha until Naraku is dead."

"How can we know that your word is any good?" Sango asked.

"You can't. But I will say this: I don't break my promises."

"If that is the case," Miroku said, "Why don't you travel with us?"

The reactions his offer got were, more or less, what Miroku expected.

"WHAT?"

"Miroku you can't be serious."

"He says he's going to kill InuYasha."

"We can't trust him."

"Think about it," Miroku started, "We all have the common goal of wanting revenge on Naraku. Maikatsu has shown how useful he would be in a battle with demons. And Kagome, you've said it in the past, you would like to become a much better archer. Well, here is someone who can teach you."

"I don't know…"

"If you truly want a teacher," Maikatsu said, "I would be perfectly willing to try."

"If he travels with us," Miroku added, "We would know where he is. So when Naraku finally is dead, we wouldn't have to worry about any possible ambush."

"Do you truly want Naraku dead first?" Sango asked.

"Do I need to show you my eyes again? You don't have to trust me and I don't care if you do or don't. You know what the need for revenge feels like. That same feeling is the one coursing through my veins."

"Well then, that leaves InuYasha," Miroku turned to the half-demon. "What do you say?"

InuYasha stared directly at Maikatsu, almost sizing him up.

"Come on, halfling. This situation would benefit us both. We both kill Naraku, we both get the revenge our minds sorely need, and then we kill each other. What more could you want?"

"You to not be related to Kikyo."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You are related to her. This damn human side of me comes with a disease known as a conscience. When our fight comes around, it might influence me to hold back."

"I'll write Lady Kikyo a note excusing you from her vengeance," the archer shot back, "but I doubt she'll get it, considering she's dead because of you."

"Her soul still wanders."

Maikatsu's head twisted to look at Miroku so fast Kagome winced just looking at him. He could have gotten whiplash from that.

"What was that?"

"Her soul has been wandering in an artificial body. We have met her on a few occasions."

"Then I have another reason to travel with your group. I would very much like to have the opportunity to meet her."

"Then it is settled. Maikatsu is now a traveling companion of ours."

The half-hearted grumblings of welcome didn't seem to faze the archer in the slightest.

"I am honored."

* * *

Spending as much time in the feudal era as Kagome did, she was able to come to a few very strong realizations. One in particular stuck out. 

It was absolute hell trying to fall asleep with the moon shining in your face.

Most of her sleeping trouble could be blamed on the moon shining through the window of the hut, but Kagome knew it was because she had too much on her mind.

Most of it was Maikatsu. The blind archer had been traveling with them for two weeks and had actually been every bit as useful as he had promised to be. He had been training Kagome, as promised, and she was indeed improving, albeit at a slower pace than she had been hoping for. Maikatsu had been equally useful in battles with demons. His accuracy hadn't been overstated. With only one arrow, he could aim so that four demons were brought down in one shot. He would align himself so that as the arrow passed through all four.

When Maikatsu had fully explained how he could be such an incredible archer without his eyesight, Kagome's respect for him had grown even greater. Maikatsu had had his eyes torn away from him by Naraku. The way Maikatsu explained it, whatever method Naraku used to take the archer's eyes had left a demonic taint that gave Maikatsu the exact same "hope-in-a-curse" effect that Maikatsu had described Miroku's Wind Tunnel as being.

Kagome remembered the first time Maikatsu had demonstrated his power. It had been in a fight with a particularly large group of demons. Individually, they were weak but there had been so many of them that they were giving the group a great deal of trouble. Kagome had taken cover almost immediately, but Maikatsu had stayed out in the open with the others. Midway through the fight, Maikatsu ran out of arrows and InuYasha told him to get off the battlefield, as he was useless without his arrows. Maikatsu's response had been short, but it got the message across.

"Screw you."

Kagome watched as Maikatsu's hand started to glow with a shining, white energy that extended out from the archer's palm and took the shape of an arrow. Maikatsu then proceeded to use those energy "arrows" to destroy more than his fair share of the demons. Later, Maikatsu said that the energy was the demonic taint left behind by Naraku when the demon took Maikatsu's eyes. Maikatsu said that it took a while to originally learn to shape the energy but now he could do it without too much concentration or effort. He was also was starting to master using the white energy to levitate himself. He was trying to get strong enough that he would be able to use it to really fly.

"But still," Kagome had said, "you haven't explained how you can even know where you target is."

"Again, my energy talents helps out. You saw when I click my tongue. When I do that, I can send the energy out in pulses that bounce back to me. I told you that I only see a white light, right? When the pulses come back, I can see shapes. The shapes are much clearer when I am not wearing my headband, which is why I am actually much more careful when I am wearing it."

"Sounds a lot like sonar to me," Kagome said.

"It's a lot like that, I suppose," Maikatsu replied, when Kagome had explained what sonar was.

But as Maikatsu had put it, such a versatile "gift" couldn't come without more drawbacks than "mere" blindness. Using the white energy too much drained the archer severely. He remembered the first time he overexerted himself, saying that he had barely been able to move for a week. Even worse, once a month, on the night of the new moon, Maikatsu fell into a coma for a twenty four hour period, and there was no way to wake him.

Kagome had found that out the hard way, as just as InuYasha made his transformation, Kagome had come upon Maikatsu passed out on a tree stump. They were unable to wake him, and the group did nothing but wait with a constantly increasing amount of worry. Sango in particular had taken a keen interest in Maikatsu's condition, barely leaving the spot where Miroku and InuYasha had laid the archer. It had been quite a shock for all of them when, exactly twenty-four hours after Kagome had found Maikatsu, the archer sat up, stretched, and announced that nature was calling. When he got back he must have sensed the stares of shock that he was getting, for he explained about his problem before asking if there was anything to eat.

Kagome rolled over on her sleeping mat. If she listened carefully, she could hear the rustle of roofing straw from where Maikatsu would be keeping watch. Despite all that he had told them, Kagome sensed that there was a lot more that the archer hadn't told the rest of the group. When he wasn't asked a direct question, training Kagome, or battling, he pretty much kept to himself, walking in silence, every now and then adjusting the cloth that he refused to refer to as a blindfold. What was worse was that the other aspects of his personality just seemed to clash with everyone else. He argued with InuYasha, insulted Miroku, outright ignored Kirara and Shippo, and seemed to have a gift for "accidentally" offending Sango and Kagome. Kagome didn't hold a grudge against him for any of it; considering all the pain and isolation he had gone through, Kagome thought the way he acted was perfectly understandable. Kagome knew that somewhere underneath the typically emotionless exterior, there was someone that Kagome knew she would be able to count on as a strong and reliable friend. Perhaps, in time, the exterior walls would be lowered and Maikatsu would open up to them all and solve the mysteries at last.

Kagome rolled over again and finally fell asleep.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated, but not required (I don't review much myself). See you in chapter 3 and (most likely) far beyond.**


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